


i've been waiting

by theafterimages



Series: frat au [27]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Background Relationships, Drinking & Talking, Feelings, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8648161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theafterimages/pseuds/theafterimages
Summary: Jackson and Zitao have a life talk. With soju.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to S for looking this over!
> 
> Yes, it's finally time to get around to sharing how Mark & Jackson got together in Frat AU. This is step one. I'm hoping the fic featuring the actual event will be finished and posted by the end of the year. Fingers crossed...
> 
> Frat AU master lists: [by storyline](http://eveninadream.livejournal.com/17207.html) and [by chronology](http://eveninadream.livejournal.com/9888.html).

Jackson's life at Cartwright seems set for the next three years. He, Jinyoung, Jaebum, and Mark have settled into their apartment a few streets away from campus, Mark and Jackson in their shared room and Jinyoung and Jaebum each with their own, although they never sleep apart. (Jaebum says he can’t spend another year tripping over Jinyoung's belongings on his way to bed, though every time Jackson goes in Jaebum's room he sees that more of Jinyoung’s stuff there.) Jackson still spends almost all of his time on campus, in class or at the Kappa Tau house, still curls around Mark in bed every night, both of them pretending not to hear the sounds Jaebum and Jinyoung are making on the other side of the wall.

But everything begins to change only a few weeks into sophomore year, although Jackson doesn’t realize it until much later.

It starts with Zitao. It always starts with Zitao.

“No class tomorrow, _and_ I have soju.” Zitao drapes his arm over Jackson’s shoulders. “Come over?”

“Getting drunk with you and Wonshik?” Jackson laughs. “I don’t know, if you two start-”

“Just you and me,” Zitao corrects him. “Please?” He’s smiling like normal, but there's something in his eyes that Jackson doesn’t like. Just like how he had been too quiet during their dinner.

And if soju and more bonding is what will make Zitao feel better, then Jackson is more than on board with that. “Let’s go!” he says with deliberate cheerfulness, steering Zitao toward the Kappa Tau house.

 

 

 

 

A few drinks later, Jackson is curled comfortably against Zitao’s side on Wonshik and Zitao's bed, the warm tide of the soju having washed away his worry about Zitao’s motives.

“Jackson?” Zitao asks quietly.

“Hmm?” Jackson lets his eyes slip shut. Maybe he should just go to sleep here. Except there’s still more to drink. He can’t leave it all to Zitao.

“Why aren’t you sleeping with Mark?”

Jackson’s eyes pop back open, and he startles away, almost overbalancing. Zitao giggles as he grabs Jackson to stop him from falling off the bed.

“We can’t,” Jackson insists once he settles, like he doesn’t have vivid dreams about it at least twice a week. “We’re friends!”

“Because you’ve never fucked any of your other friends,” Zitao says dryly.

Jackson starts to protest, but then thinks about how many of his friends he did hook up with last year and settles for maintaining, “That’s different!”

Zitao snorts. “How?”

“We can’t—there’s the apartment, and we’re friends, and it’s perfect. I can’t mess it up.”

“What if it makes it better?”

“What if it doesn’t? Tao, it’s _Mark_.” It’s not like Jackson hasn’t thought about this before. He thinks about being with Mark, about Mark in general, all the time. But he still keeps coming back to the same thing—Mark means too much to him to risk. He wants Mark to be part of his life, always, not to one day be someone Jackson just refers to as an ex-boyfriend.

“So what if someone else asks him out instead?” Zitao points out.

Jackson swallows, his stomach dropping at the thought. It can’t happen. It’s going to be just like last year—just him and Mark, always. Well, and Jinyoung and Jaebum, since they’re all living together, but that’s not the point.

Zitao starts to pick up the soju bottle again, then sets it back down and looks at Jackson. He looks way more sober than Jackson feels. Why is Jackson always the first person to get drunk? “I would’ve asked you out last year,” Zitao tells him.

Jackson blinks. “What?”

“Not right then. Maybe after a few weeks. But I was already thinking about it.”

Jackson had been so sure that he knew Zitao so well, but he never would have guessed this. “Holy shit. Why didn’t you?”

Zitao smiles ruefully and starts pouring their next shots. “Remember that first time we hooked up, when Mark walked in?”

Jackson nods slowly. He’s pretty sure Mark’s face when he saw them is something Jackson will never forget. “Yeah.”

Zitao gives him a long look, then utters a quiet laugh. “That’s why.”

“What?”

“People get embarrassed when their roommate walks in on them, or they think it’s funny, or whatever.” Zitao hands Jackson his shot glass again, then raises his own as if in a toast. “But you got worried.”

They both down their soju. Jackson’s mind is whirling even without the extra alcohol.

Dating Zitao? Jackson can’t picture it—

But no, that’s not true. Jackson loves Zitao, they understand each other, they have a lot in common, and the sex last year had been awesome. Jackson could have dated Zitao. It probably would have been great.

Except… Mark. What would Mark do without him? Jackson can’t picture it, him and Mark dating other people; double dates with Mark and some mystery girl… Jackson shoves _that_ thought aside. He just wants to think about Mark, not Mark and—someone else. Whoever. Whatever. 

The _point_ is, Mark would probably be lonely if Jackson dated someone else. Jackson would be lonely, too. Zitao and Jackson would have been great if Jackson had never known that Mark existed, but since he does… 

Further thought is cut off when Zitao abruptly says, “I think Wonshik is in love with Hongbin.”

Jackson drops his—empty, luckily—glass. “What? You mean, like he’s cheating on you?” He can’t see Wonshik realizing other guys exist, much less cheating on Zitao with one, but of course he trusts Zitao. If he is sure it’s true, then Jackson believes him. And then he’ll have to do something about it, because Jackson won’t ever let someone hurt his friends.

“No, not like that,” Zitao says quickly. “I don’t think he knows he is, yet.”

Jackson blinks. “If he doesn’t know, how do you know?”

“I know Wonshik.” Zitao shrugs. “The way he looks at him, with… wonder. It’s the way he looks at me.”

Jackson frowns. He doesn’t remember noticing anything like that. Then again, people are always giving him a hard time about his eyesight, even though it’s _fine_. Nothing he needs contacts or glasses for, no matter what—

With some effort, Jackson drags his thoughts back on track. Zitao needs him. “Wonshik loves you,” he says. “More than anybody.”

He is trying to help, but instead his words just make Zitao look sadder. “That’s what everyone says.” He sighs. “Jackson?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you know you’re in love with Mark?”

Jackson can’t keep up with Zitao today, and he doesn’t think it’s just the soju. “What? Why?”

“Just tell me,” Zitao wheedles. 

“I don’t know,” Jackson admits. “I just do. I feel it. All the time. Everywhere.”

Zitao sighs. “You’ve never wondered?”

Jackson shakes his head. “I just—know. Why?”

“No reason.” Zitao looks downright miserable now, his lips trembling like he’s holding back tears.

Jackson, being the good friend he is, promptly clambers onto Zitao’s lap and presses a quick kiss against them. “Don’t be sad,” he tells him. “It's okay. Wonshik loves you.”

Zitao laughs hollowly. “I know he does. That’s the problem.”

 

 

 

 

“Jackson. Come on, Jackson.”

Jackson wakes slowly, one sensation registering at a time—someone’s hand on his shoulder, shaking gently; someone’s chest rising and falling underneath his cheek, firm and warm; the lingering glow of soju.

Or maybe that’s the glow of being near Mark; Jackson cracks his eyes open and sees Mark crouched next to him.

Mark smiles and gives Jackson's shoulder a quick squeeze. “Had a good time?”

“Soju,” Jackson croaks. Then, attempting to smile back, he adds, “Hi, Markie-pooh.”

Mark snorts. “Markie-pooh?”

“It’s cute. You’re cute. Markie-pooh.” Jackson tries to nod, but that makes it feel like his head is going to wobble off his shoulders, so he quickly stops. “Where’s Taozi?”

“You’re on him,” Mark says dryly. Jackson turns his head and registers that it’s Zitao’s sun-gold skin beneath his cheek, then looks up and sees Zitao’s familiar profile, relaxed in sleep.

“Oh.” Jackson sighs and presses a quick kiss against Zitao’s chest, right over his heart. From what he can remember, Zitao needs it. “How’d you get here? Do you want soju?”

“Wonshik called me,” Mark says. “And I can’t, you guys drank it all.”

Wonshik, Jackson discovers when he coaxes his head to turn far enough, is sitting on the other side of the bed, next to Zitao. “There’s no soju,” Jackson tells him, in case he didn’t know. “I’ll bring you more.”

“It’s okay, Jackson,” Wonshik tells him with a smile. “Just go get some sleep.”

“Okay.” Jackson lets Mark help him up and leans against him when Mark puts his arm around his waist. Jackson always likes the way he fits against Mark best of all. Just right.

But he turns back to Wonshik before he forgets. He can’t get distracted by Mark just yet. He needs to make this right. “I’ll bring you more, okay?” he promises. “Okay. All the soju.”

“Okay,” Wonshik agrees. He’s still smiling. Jackson likes Wonshik’s smile. And his eyes. His eyes look like a basset hound’s, and Jackson thinks it’s really cute.

But he likes Mark’s eyes the best, he decides as he and Mark leave the Kappa Tau house, a much harder process than usual since Jackson’s legs don’t quite want to cooperate. He likes Mark’s smile best, too. And his everything.

“Mark, Mark, Markie-pooh, you’re my favorite person.” He pauses. “Except my mom. And my dad. But except for them. And what about my grandparents? And my brother?”

“Except your family,” Mark suggests.

“Except my family,” Jackson agrees. Mark is so smart. “You’re my favorite.”

“Thanks-”

“I’m your favorite, too, right?” Jackson asks quickly. There are a lot of people, after all. Everyone likes Mark. What if Jinyoung is Mark’s favorite? What if—

“Yeah, of course,” Mark says.

Pleased, Jackson squeezes him tightly. Then, suddenly, he remembers what Zitao was saying earlier. Mark is smart. He’ll know what to think. “Do you think Wonshik likes Hongbin?” Jackson asks.

Mark blinks. “What?”

“Zitao thinks he does. But I don’t know. He really, really loves Zitao.” Jackson peers at Mark’s beautiful, bewildered face, and smiles. “I love you,” he announces, kissing Mark’s cheek.

Mark laughs, sounding startled. “I love you, too,” he says.

“Always,” Jackson insists. Zitao’s words about that are bothering him, too. He wants to make Mark understand, he _has_ to, but all he can think of to say is, “ _Always_. Okay?”

“Okay,” Mark agrees. Pleased, Jackson nestles closer and lets Mark walk them the rest of the way to his car.


End file.
